Torpedo.



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WITNESSES ilNrrnn Samaras FATnNr @trice lVILIiIAM M. GALLAGHER, OF CARNEGIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

TORPEDO.

SPECIFICATION' forming :part 0f Letters Patent NO. 628,308, dated. July 4, 1899.

Application filed May 14,1898. Serial No. 680,717. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it'mcty concern:

Be it known thatI I, WILLIAM M. GALLA- GHER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Carnegie, in the county of AAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harbor-Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in torpedoes, and it relates particuiarly to a torpedo to be used for,

submarine purposes.

The invention aims to provide a torpedo of this class in which simplicity of construction, absolute safety in handling, and the assured explosion of which, together with effectiveness, will be combined, as'will be hereinafter more specifically described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

The invention further aims to provide a torpedo of this class which may be filled with its charge of` explosives, electrical wires or other exploding means connected therewith, and the torpedo safely deposited beneath the waterwithout interfering in any manner with the means for exploding` the charge at the desired time. Means is also provided for retaining the torpedo submerged and for snspending the same at the desired position in the water, as well as for the absolute sealing of the torpedo, so as to prevent any dampness accruing to the charge of explosives therein.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiicatiomand Wherein like figures of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views,in whichw Figure lis a side View of myimproved submarine or harbor torpedo. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the disks, which are filled with mercury, fulminate, or other explosive and are connected to the explodingwire. Fig. 4 is a like view of a modified form of this disk.

To put my invention into practice, I form of cast-steel or other suitable material a shell l, which is or may be of an oval form, as herein shown in the drawings, or this shell may be of any desired shape and may of course be of any size desired, according to the effectiveness which it is desired to attain from the torpedo. This shell is formed on its upper side with a dome 2, through which the charge of explosives 3 is placed within the shell, and on its interior wall at its lowerside directly underneath the dome the same is formed with an upwardly-extending annular flange 4, which is adapted to receive a tube 5, which is inserted through the dome and is held in position by means of the said annular flange 4. This tube 5 is provided for the purpose of receiving the mercury or-other explosive disks and which permits the anchoring of the same at the base ofthe charge of explosives. When filling the shell with its charge, the top of the tube may be covered and the charge of explosives then poured within the shell until the latter is filled, at which time the disks,percussioncaps,or other exploding device are inserted in the tube and anchored upon the inner Wall of the shell at the base of the said tube. Two of these disks,

` as shown at 6 in Fig. 3, may be employed, and

the igniting-wire 7 may be formed with two branches 8, one of which is connected to each of the disks, or, if desired, the igniting-wire 7 may be attached to a circular disk or percussion-cap 9, as is shown in Fig. 4. After the disks have been anchored in their position the tube 5 may be likewise filled with an explosive charge, and the torpedo is then sealed by means of a layer of paraffin 10,A

which is placed within the dome on top of the explosives, and then closing the dome by meansA of the screw-cap 1l, which is of course provided with a central aperture to receive the igniting-Wire 7. Within the annular flange of this cap 11,-which engages the screwthread of the dome 2, I may provide a' gasket 12, of any suitable flexible material, which will bind rmly upon the igniting-wire and prevent any danger of water passing into the shell through the aperture in the cap, which is provided for the igniting-wire. The paraffin 10 will also solidify closely around said wire and prevent any dampness reaching the charge of explosives if by any chance'whatever it might pass the cap and gasket.

For the purpose of retaining the torpedo submerged, for suspending the same at the desired distance, and for lowering the same IOO into the water I provide bands 14, which preferably conform to the exterior Wall of the shell l and are swaged or otherwise firmly secured thereon. These bands carry eyelets 15 at the top of the shell, eyelets 1G at the lower portion of the shell, and eyelets 17 at the sides thereof. The eyelets 15 are adapted to receive the cables which suspend the torpedo at the desired position and may also be einployed for connecting a series of the torpedoes together. The eyelets 16 are provided for the purpose of lowering the torpedoes to their anchorage Without interfering in any manner with the cables which are or may be attached to the eyelets 15 and 17. I may also provide the shell 1 with an eyelet 18 on its lowerrnost side, as shown in the drawings, which may be used for various purposes, or I may provide the shell with a number of these eyelets, as may be desired.

By branching the igniting-wire within the tube 5 an absolute certainty of explosion is assured, as in case one of the percussion-caps or mercury-disks refuses to be exploded the other would act, and thereby assure the eX- ploding of the main charge. This, however,

is very unlikely, owing to the perfect manner in which the torpedo is sealed, and the form of exploding-disk or percussion-cap as shown in Fig. 4 may be employed.

' It will be observed that in such a construction the torpedo may be charged with explosives and after the connections have been made the same may be, hernietically sealed and safely lowered toits position beneath the Water without danger of a premature eXplosion.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A harbor-torpedo comprising a substantially oblong-shaped cast shell having an open dome formed integral therewith through which the explosive charge may be inserted into the shell, a central annular lian ge formed integral with the inner face of the shell at a point directly in line with the open dome, a central tube secured in said annular flange and an explosive charge therein, an electric fuse connected with the explosive charge within Ithe central tube, a screw-cap engaging said open. dome and provided with a central aperture to receive the fuse, a filling of.

paraffin or other air-excluding substance on top of the explosive charge within the open dome, a gasket interposed between said filling and the screw-cap, and a pair of bands swaged to the exterior'of the cast shell and provided with eyelets, substantially as herein described. 

